Shinan-gun Promotes Shinan Tidal Flats, a World Heritage Site, Globally through International Cooperation

Establishing a Cooperative System for International Society's Conservation and Promotion of Tidal Flat Biosphere

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Jae-kyung] Shinan-gun, Jeollanam-do, led the inscription of the "Korean Tidal Flats" as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site in 2021 and successfully attracted the establishment of the "National Tidal Flats World Natural Heritage Conservation Headquarters" through the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries' public contest in October 2022.

As a result of this series of achievements, a national institution will be established in Shinan-gun for the first time. The establishment of the Tidal Flats Conservation Headquarters will be fully initiated starting with the detailed design in 2023.

The production inducement effect of the Tidal Flats Conservation Headquarters is estimated at 136.6 billion KRW, with economic outcomes such as employment inducement of approximately 2,500 people also anticipated.

In this regard, on the 7th, Shinan-gun signed a "Mutual Cooperation Agreement for Shinan-gun World Heritage Policy and UNESCO Biosphere Conservation" with the international cooperation specialized organization The Better World (Chairman Yeom Jin-su) at Shinan-gun Office.

On this day, the two organizations promised to build a mutual cooperation system to promote the UNESCO World Natural Heritage "Korean Tidal Flats" (including Shinan Tidal Flats) to the international community and to conserve the tidal flats biosphere.

This agreement is expected to be a turning point in promoting Shinan’s tidal flats to the world as a follow-up measure, and plans to collaborate with four local governments possessing the UNESCO World Natural Heritage "Korean Tidal Flats": Seocheon, Chungnam (Seocheon Tidal Flats), Gochang, Jeonbuk (Gochang Tidal Flats), and Boseong and Suncheon, Jeonnam (Boseong and Suncheon Tidal Flats).

The Better World, the party to the agreement, is an international cooperation specialized organization that fosters global talents through international education and activities in cooperation with international organizations such as UNESCO, NGOs, the U.S. Department of State, and government agencies.

Since 2015, it has served as the Asia-Pacific Secretariat for UNESCO World Heritage Center’s youth education program "World Heritage Volunteers," and in October, the UNESCO World Heritage Center requested that from 2023, the "World Heritage Volunteer Global Secretariat" be operated in cooperation with Shinan-gun to contribute to the conservation of world heritage.

According to the agreement, Shinan-gun and The Better World will promote ▲ mutual cooperation to conserve UNESCO World Heritage and enhance domestic and international awareness ▲ support and cooperation in operating the UNESCO World Heritage Center’s "World Heritage Volunteers" ▲ mutual cooperation for youth world heritage education and international exchange.

Park Woo-ryang, Mayor of Shinan-gun, stated, "The National Tidal Flats World Natural Heritage Conservation Headquarters will be established as a national institution that manages the entire Korean tidal flats in an integrated manner. Shinan-gun and The Better World will faithfully fulfill the role of educational and promotional institutions for the Shinan tidal flats, making it a place visited and learned from by people worldwide, like the Gal?pagos Islands and Kenya National Parks."